Automatic starting device for internal combustion engines



RHEBERT AUTOMATIC STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL I May 13, 1969 COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed March a, 1967 lullllVf/VTOR Re /v United States Patent 3,443,557 AUTOMATIC STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Ren Hbert, 2583 Duquesne St., Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed Mar. 8, 1967, Ser. No. 621,519 Int. Cl. F02n 11/08 US. Cl. 123-179 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An automatic starting system for an internal combustion engine comprising a starter relay under the control for a vacuum switch opened by the rotating motor engine, and a time delay manual reset thermal switch including a heating element connected to the starter circuit, and operable to open the switching part of the thermal switch after a few seconds of operation of the starter, said thermal switch once opened, cutting off all the circuits of the starting system until it is manually reset, thereby avoiding any drain on the automobile battery and any damage to the starter which might result from repeated attempts at starting the engine.

vice for such engines, more specifically of motor vehicles.

In cold weather it is often very difficult to start the engine of an automobile and it is most uncomfortable to enter a very cold automobile and to have to wait several minutes before the engine is sufliciently hot to be able to start the vehicle without damage to the engine and to supply hot water to the passenger compartment heater to heat said compartment to a comfortable temperature. In practice, the automobile driver is in a hurry and, generally, does not wait until the engine has attained its operating temperature to move the vehicle, which is highly damageable to the engine.

The general object of the present invention resides in the provision of a system which is either clock-controlled to automatically start the engine of the motor vehicle a sufficient number of minutes before the predetermined time of use of the vehicle to enable the engine to attain its operating temperatures and the passenger compartment to attain a comfortable temperature.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a system of the character described, of simple and inexpensive construction, which prevents unauthorized persons to drive off with the vehicle and which automatically stops the engine if difliculties are experienced in the starting procedure, in order to prevent excessive drain on the battery.

With these objects and other objects of the invention, the present invention is characterized by the fact that the automatic system of the invention is so designed that its electrical components become completely de-energized in the event that the starter fails to start the engine after an attempt of a few seconds and the components remain so de-energized until manual resetting of the circuit to thereby completely eliminate any avoidable drain on the battery.

The invention is also characterized by the fact that the electrical components are arranged in a box of small dimensions and able to be disposed under or in the dashboard of any existing motor vehicle, and that these electrical components are connected to the various accessories of the engine without modifying in any way the existing electrical circuit of the engine.

The invention is also charaterized by the fact that the starter ceases to operate as soon as the engine is started,

3,443,557 Patented May 13, 1969 the starter being controlled by the vacuum created by the engine.

The foreging will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings, in which:

The single figure is an electric diagram of the system in accordance with the invention.

The conventional car battery is indicated at 1; the conventional engine starter is indicated at 2, having its conventional starting relay 3. The engine is also provided with a conventional ignition system including induction coil 4 and distributor 5. One terminal of battery 1 is grounded while the other terminal is connected to wire 6. One pole of the secondary of induction coil 4 is grounded while the other pole of said secondary is connected to a wire 7. Similarly, a wire 8 runs to the solenoid 3 of starter 2.

In accordance with the invention, a thermostatic switch 9' is applied to the motor vehicle engine and will open its contacts on the engine attaining a maximum operating temperature and will close its contact some degrees below this maximum. The thermostat is connected to wires 9, 10.

A safety switch 10' is operated by the transmission lever of the motor vehicle so as to be closed only in the park position of said lever. The safety switch 10 is connected to wires 11 and 12.

An accessories such as an electric seat pad, the fan of the conventional passenger compartment heater of the motor vehicle and the like, as indicated at 13, are connected in parallel to two wires 14, 15.

Wires 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 are united in a cable provided with a male multi-connector terminal plug, detachably connectable to a female multi-connector plug so that the above-noted wires will be detachably connected to wires 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 respectively of the system in accordance with the invention which is contained in a box, indicated in dotted lines at 23, said box having a small size and adapted to be mounted, for instance, under the dashboard of a motor vehicle.

Box 23 is further provided with a female terminal outlet, indicated by wires 24 and 25, adapted to be connected to the wires 14, 15 of the accessories 13.

Protruding outside the box is a tube 26 adapted to be connected by a flexible hosing to the intake manifoldof the engine or other engine chamber in which the engine produces vacuum when rotating.

On the outside of the box 23, appear a green light 27, a red light 28, and a lever-operated main control switch 29'.

The front of the box 23 is provided with a circular opening for removably receiving an ordinary springactuated alarm clock 30, of the type having at the back a winding crank which operates both the alarm and the clock mechanism and which rotates when the clock is unwinding upon sounding an alarm. This crank is indicated at 31.

On the outside of box 23, finally appear a reset button 32 and also a normally closed opening for removable insertion of the fuse, which fuse is indicated at 33.

The circuit contained in box 23 includes an ignition relay A, a starter relay B and an accessory relay C; also, a double pole double throw switch 34, adapted to be actuated by the winding crank 31 of alarm 30, a time delay manual reset switch 35 adapted to be manually reset to closed position by pushing on reset button 32, and a vacuum switch 36 actuated by the vacuum created in tube 26 by the engine upon starting of the same.

Wire 16, connected to the battery -1, is connected to fuse 33, in turn connected to wire 37 which is connected in parallel to the movable contacts 38, 39, and 40 of the three relays A, B, C.

Closing of movable contact 39 under action of the operating coil of the relay B completes the circuit to the starter through wires 18, 8, and conventional starting relay 3. Closing of the contact 38 of relay A under the action of its coil, closes the circuit to the induction coil 4 through movable arm 38, resistance 41, wires 17 and 7. Resistance 41 is inserted to prevent burn-out of the contact points of the distributor system of the engine.

Closing of movable contact arm 40 of accessory relay C under action of the energized coil of said relay C, closes the circuit to the accessories through wires 25, 15, accessories 13, wire 14 and grounded return wire 24.

The coils of the three relays A, B, C are connected in parallel in a main control circuit including series-connected time delay switch 35, safety switch main control switch 29, clock-operated switch 34, thermostatic switch 9'. In addition, starter relay B is under the control of vacuum switch 36.

More specifically, the heat-responsive switching part 42 of time delay switch 35 is connected by wire 43 to fuse 33 and by wires 21 and 11 to the safety switch 10'.

The return of the safety switch is connected by wires 12 and 22 to the main control switch 29. This switch 29 is series-connected to the movable arm of double throwclock-operated switch 34.

This switch 34 is normally in the position shown in the drawings connecting the green light 27 to ground. Thus, upon closing of the main control switch 29, provided that the safety switch 10 is closed, that is that the transmission lever of the engine is in the park position, green light 27 will become illuminated, indicating to the user that the control switch 29 and safety switch 10 are closed and the system is therefore ready for operation.

Switch 34 will take the alternative position under the action of winding crank 31 of alarm clock 30. In this alternative position, the red light 28 will be connected and the circuit completed to ground, whereby this light will become illuminated and also the circuit coming from control switch 29 will be connected to wires and 10, thermostatic switch 9', wires 9, 19 and, in parallel to the input terminal of the operating coils of the relays A, B, C, the other terminals of the coils of said relays being grounded. However, relay B is also controlled by vacuum switch 36, which is connected to wires 19 and 44, the latter in turn connected to the input terminal of the coil of relay B.

The delay switch is provided with a heating resistance 45 grounded at one end and the other terminal of which is connected by wire 46 to wire 18 going to the starter with the interposition of a resistance 47.

The circuit in accordance with the invention operates as follows:

When the motor vehicle is left outside, for instance for overnight parking, and that the driver wishes to use the same at, say, 7:00 oclock in the morning, he will remove the alarm clock 30 from within the recess in box 23 and wind the alarm clock by crank 31 and set the alarm to ring, for instance at ten to seven the next morning. He replaces the alarm clock in the box 23 so that the crank arm 31 will be in operative arrangement with the movable contact switch 34. The driver closes main control switch 29, places the transmission lever of the car in the park position, thereby closing switch 10, puts, for instance, the electric seat pad and the electric fan of the car heater on the on" position. When the system is ready for operation, green light 27 will become illuminated. If the winding crank 31 of the clock has been improperly positioned, red light 28 will become illuminated, indicating that the switch 34 is in the position closing the circuit to wire 20. With green light on, the driver leaves the car after having locked the main car switch and removed the ignition key and locked the doors. The engine will remain idle till ten to seven next morning, at which time alarm clock 30 will ring an alarm and the crank 31 will rotate until near the end of its course, it actuates switch 34 to the position closing the circuit to wire 20. The thermostat 9 being closed, the following circuit is closed: battery 1, fuse 33, heat-responsive switching element 42, safety switch 10', closed control switch 29, clock-operated switch 34, wire 20, thermostat switch 9' and the coils of the three relays A, B, C, the coil of relay B being energized through the closed vacuum switch 36. The movable contacts 38, 39, and of relays A, B, C close the circuits to the starter 2, to the induction coil 4 and to accessories 13. The starter rotates the engine, which is fed with sparks through induction coil 4 and distributor 5. Upon the engine starting, it creates a vacuum which opens vacuum switch 36, thereby opening the circuit to the coil of relay B; therefore, the movable contact 39 opens the circuit to the starter 2 but the engine continues to run, because relay A remains closed. When the engine has attained its maximum operating temperature, thermostatic switch 9' opens, thereby cutting the electrical supply to relays A and C, whereby the ignition is cut off, stopping the engine, and also the accessories are de-energized. Upon the engine reaching a certain minimum predetermined temperature, the thermostatic switch 9 again closes to restart the engine. The cycle is repeated until the driver opens main switch 29.

Heating wire which was energized during all the time the starter was energized through wire 18, will cause opening of the heat-responsive switching element 42 of the delay switch 35, after about ten seconds of opening of switch 42, all the circuits become completely dead, no electricity whatever being fed to the various components of the system, because switch 42 controls the supply of electricity to all the coils of the relays A,

It should also be noted that the starter becomes deenergized as soon as the engine is started, because the vacuum switch 36 is very sensitive to any sutficient vacuum created in the engine.

If the user so desires, for instance when he intends to park his automobile for a limited period of time, he closes switch 29 and either simply removes the alarm clock 30 or selects the position of crank 31, so that the switch 34 takes its position closing the circuit of wire 20. This can be ascertained by the red light 28 becoming illuminated. Under these conditions, the system will operate under the control of the thermostat 9' monitoring the engine temperature.

If desired, the motor vericle equipped with the system in accordance with the invention can be provided with conventional means for facilitating starting of the engine and including an actuator device for actuating the accelerator pedal and in turn actuated by vacuum or by electricity. Therefore, when the engine is turned by the starter 2, the above-mentioned mechanism will actuate the accelerator pedal to open the butterfly valve of the carburator.

It is noted that the car, with the engine running, cannot be driven away by an unauthorized person, because, upon placing the transmission lever to any one of the drive or reverse positions, switch 10' is automatically open, thereby opening the circuit of the system in accordance with the invention.

While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention has been illustrated and described, it is understood that various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

1. In an automatic starting system for an internal combustion engine wherein said engine is provided with a battery, an electric starter motor having a starter coil, an electric ignition system having an ignition coil, said engine having a chamber in which vacuum is produced when the engine rotates, said system comprising an ignition relay and a starter relay, each having an operating coil and a pair of normally open relay contacts, wires conmeeting in parallel one terminal of said relay contacts directly to said battery, wires connecting the other terminals of said relay contacts to said ignition coil and starter coil respectively, a time delay manual reset thermal switch including a heater element and a heat responsive switching part, a wire connecting said heater element to the wire connecting the other terminal of the relay contacts of the starter relay to the starter coil, a main switch, a normally closed thermostatic switch responsive to the temperature of the engine and opening at a maximum predetermined temperature of the engine, an adjustable clock switch, wires connecting said battery in series with said heat responsive switching part, said thermostatic switch, said main switch and said clock switch and connecting in parallel the operating coils of said ignition and starter relays, and a normally closed vacuum switch opening when vacuum is produced in said engine chamber, series connected with the operating coil of said starter relay.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/ 1966- Vancha.

LAURENCE M. GOODRIDGE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

